Device for transporting bedridden patients



Sept. 7, 1954 G. B. NELSON DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING BEDRIDDEN PATIENTS Filed Aug. 27. 1949 3 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 Sept. 7, 1954 G. a., Nl-:LsoN 2,688,410

DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING BEDRIDDEN PATIENTS Filed Aug. 27, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 SePt- 7, 1954 Y G. B. NELSON 2,688,410

- DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING BEDRIDDEN PATIENTS Filed Ag, 27. 1949 :s sheets-sheet s 07 6760336 5. //Sozg,

Patented Sept. 7," 1954 DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING BEDRIDDN PATIENTS George B. Nelson, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 27, 1949, Serial No. 112,693

My invention relates to an invalid lifter and carrier for use in hospitals, convalescent homes, private homes, and wherever the same may be found applicable.

The invention has among its objects an efficient device for lifting and transporting bedridden patients and invalids, for example, from a bed or the likevwhen it is desired to change or remake the bed, or to place the patient in a chair, or on a commode, or on a hospital cot, as well as to transport the patient to a different room, the patient being taken care of with a minimum of handling and discomfort; with a minimum of help. The invalid may be lifted and seated in a chair while the bed is being changed or remade, or for dressing the hair, bathing, shaving, or other operation. All of the handling may be done by the one attendant or nurse without difculty or undue strain on the attendant, even though the invalid may be of great weight, or in a condition otherwise making handling difcult. All of this may be done in a minimum of time.

The invention has especially as an object the production of a device which enables one attendant to handle the subject more conveniently, quickly, and satisfactorily, and with more com fort than the usual manner which ordinarily may require several attendants or interns to help the nurse perform her duties.

-The invention also has as an object the production of a simple, eiiicient, safe, and readily portable apparatus of the kind described which is not unsightly in appearance, which will opcrate smoothly to lift or carry the subject without danger of lifting too high or dropping, which might result in injury to the patient, `the device stopping automatically when the limit of upward or downward travel is reached.

Many other objects and advantages of the con'- struction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the dis closure herein given,

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference charn acters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the device illustrating the lifting or handling of a patient, the bed and nurse being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of one end with the cover plate removed and some parts shown in section;

5 Claims. (Cl. 212-14) Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the bar connecting the spaced uprights, the shaft, and the pulley on the shaft, the same being taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the pulley taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view and side elevation of the connecting and controlling means for the motor drive;

Fig. 6 isa sectional view of the sling or carr1er;

Fig. 7 is a plan View of a modified carrier; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the co1'- ners of the frame shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, in which only one embodiment `of the invention is shown, I and 2 represent suitable base members 4which are mounted on casters or rollers 3. Casters which are provided with suitable anti-friction bearings and swiveled on the base members are preferably employed. I also use casters which are rubber tired, or similarly equipped. Carried by the base members I and 2 and rigidly secured thereto are the uprights 4 and 5, the upper ends of which are rigidly connected by a connecting bar 6. To reduce weight the uprights 4 and 5 and bar 6 may be made of tubular material. Arranged on the upper end of the upright 4 is a bracket member l, and a more or less similar bracket 8 is arranged at the upper end or top of the uprights 5. The brackets 'I and 8 and members A4, 5, and E may be provided with anges 9 which may be detachably and rigidly secured to each other by means of the flange bolts I3. Obviously, any equivalent construction may be employed that will produce a mobile unit.

The brackets and E are formed with bearing housings III and II, the same containing bearings, preferably of the antifriction type, which carry a winding shaft I2, a square shaft being shown. Upon this rotatable shaft is mounted a pulley or sleeve, designated generally by the reference character I4, which may slide lengthwise of the shaft, but is prevented from rotating on the shaft I owing to the fact that the shaft is not round. The pulley III carries a winding cable I5 which in turn carries a carrier or sling, one type being shown in Fig. l, and denoted generally by the reference character I6, having a flexible body support Il of canvas or equivalent material, the same being described more in detail hereinafter.

Arranged within the housing IQ on the carrier 'I is an intermediate shaft 20 provided with bushings 2I which extend through and are carried by 3 the anti-friction bearings 22. The shaft 2U and winding shaft I2 are connected by a collar 23 rigidly connected thereto by the bolts or set screws 24. Secured on the shaft 26 within the housing I is a beveled gear 25, which may be secured to the shaft 20 by a set screw 26, or the equivalent. This gear meshes with a similar beveled gear 21 secured at the upper end of a drive shaft 28 which'ex'terids down into a tubular'housing 29, square in cross-section, Fig. l and Fig. 5, carried by the assembly on the base I. The shaft 28, for safety reasons, is preferably enclosed within a non-rotatable tubularhousing 30, the upper end of which is provided with a sleeve 3| car-l ried by a bracket 32, as shown in Fig. 2. An anti-friction bearing 33 is provided `at the "upper end of the shaft 28, as also shown-in-Fig. 2.-.

Arranged within the housing`29 is a'thr'eaded shaft 36 which is rigidly secured to the s'haft'i28 by means of a collar 31. The lower end of the shaft 36 is secured to the-shaft 39 extendingA from a yreducing-gear assembly-49,v Ishafts 36-and 39 being rigidly secured together-by a` collar 38| and pins, as shown, similar .to the collar 31secured to the upper end of 36- and to the shaft 28.-/`- The housing 29 is supported on the'baseV Irthrough the-flange 4| and boltsl 42, which rigidly secure the same to the reducing gear housingg-whch in turn is mounted on the base I. I- have -shown a reversing electric Ymotorini-which `is suitably connected with switches in a switch bore-44 mounted on the base and provided with'manually operablel switches 45' and 46 rwhich control Ithe direction of rotation of the'motor and the resulting direction of motion or rotation ofthel shaft 28 through the reduction gear-40 and shaft36. Extending from the switch box 44is a conductor 41 which terminates in a manually operated twobutton switch, not shown in detailfadapted to control the operation of the motor at the will `of an attendant, the construction of the switch 48 being such that when either switch button is manipulated, the motor will be driven in the desired direction; but when pressure is` released on the buttons, the circuit will be broken and the motor will not operate. Obviously, standard switches or circuit breakers may be used. `When the shaft 28 is driven by controlling the motor it Vwill rotate the winding shaft I2, which is driven by the shaft 28 through the gears '25 and 21.

In order to limit the drivingof the winding shaft I2, I provide limit switches which are operated by means of a non-rotatable nut 50 threaded on the Shaft36,.ther nut 5I] provided with cam faces and 52 for engagement' with the" switch actuating mechanism buttons 53 and 54 which control switches in the switch housings" 55,; 56 representing electrical conductorsV extending to the switch box 44. The nut 5l! is circular in cross'- section and complementally formedto the interior of the tubular housing 29. In order to prevent rotation of the nut vwithin the housing although permitting the nut 5D to travel vertically in either direction as the. threaded shaft 36 is oppositely rotated to raise and lower the patient, a stud bolt 50', Figs. 1 and 5, extends through a vertical slot 58", Fig. l. The travel of the nut 50 on the threaded shaft 36 upwardly will operate the switch controlled bythe button 53, while downward movement of the nut 5|) will control the switch operated by button 54, which actuates the switch mechanism in that box. It will thus be seen that the rotation of the winding shaft I2 will be automatically controlled soA as 'not' `t0 4 raise the carrier I1 too high or to lower it to an undesired level.

As was before stated, the pulley I4 is adapted to travel along the rotating shaft I2 and rotate with it, the same winding up the cable I5, which has one end secured to the pulley and. the other end secured to the sling or carrier device. In order to provide for the easy movement or longitudinal adjustment ofthe pulley? I4 on the winding shaft I2, I provide suitable anti-friction means arranged within and carried by the body 58 of the pulley.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the pulley body 58 is provided with lugs or spurs 60 and 6|, which rotatably carry pins S2, and on these pins are arranged rollers 63 which roll on the winding shaftuand make sliding of the pulley on the shaft comparatively easy. Shells or enclosures 63 encl'osethe rollers, the shells being secured to the lugs by means of screws 65, or their equivalents. '"Carried rby ythe cable I5 is a weight' which tends to` hold the cable slightly 'taut' when'fthe carrier or sling' is removed; IThe carrier orsling frame, indicated generally by the' reference character I6, consists :of the connected 'members `|51 and 68, which are'arranged to engage a hook'on the end of the cable I5; "At'each'corner of the frame I6 is an eye 69 :towhichr the slingl proper is connected by means'of straps'l'and snaps 12. The sling shown consists of 1a canvas 14- provided with rings 13 at the corners whch may be' engaged by thespring snaps 12. ''l f' Referring to Figs. 1 and'ftlie canvas'part'14 ofthe sling is provided with a 'cut-'out portior`i`15 which normally is closed by"aap"1'8stitched at 11 at one end to the body canvas`14`, andsecured by snaps 18 at the opposite end. Theflapl may be. released and opened'to uncover the opening 15 of the sling when it is desiredI to'place the pa'tier'it overacommode or bedpan.

'I'he sling shown in Fig. 1 maynct'always be desirable for carrying the patient, dpending'up'o'n the infirmity of the patient, and in some instances it may be desired to carry the patient stretched out. For this purpose I provide a sling consisting ofaframe havingend and side-rods 88 and 8|, respectively, which carryacanvas'stretcheiflike body- 85 hemmed at the edges s`o that" the side rods 8| may be threaded through the same. The rods and 8| may beLA rigidly secured together by means of, cornerbrackets 82, either one or both ofwhich may be locked-to theorn'er bracket 4by` means of thumb nuts 83. Each Yof the corner brackets is providedwith a rin'g 84 for engagement-with snaps on straps securedfto the corners of the frame I6. As withl the sling 14, the canvas may be providedwitharl opel?,- ing 86 normally covered by aiiap 81 secured at one end 88 to the body of the canvas anddetachably secured at the other end by means of snap fasteners 89.l I y l i Y In using the device, referring to Fig. 1 in which a bed and attendant or nurse are shown iii-'dotted lines, the lift is moved or positioned so that the Winding shaft I2 extends across the bed. The sling I1 may be opened on the bed and the patient moved or rolled over on the canvas 14 after which the canvas may be attached tothe frame I6. The attendant may now press thebutton suitable to drive the motor in a direction to rotate the shaft I2 and wind the. cable l5 on the pulley I4, raising the patient from the bed. If .the attendant releases the switch button, the Amotor willstop-and 4hold the sling elevated. The bed "a chair`- or commode.

may lnow be changed or the sling with the patient carried thereby may be moved tothe side to facilitate making the bed, or to move the patient over If it is desired'ito lower the patient back to the bed or on a chair, the' sling will bemoved on the winding shaft'lZ to -the desired point to center the patient on the bedor chairfafter which, by pushing the proper button in `4B,Vthe motor will be driven in a direction to lower the patient. yShouldvthe attendant fail to push the proper button or release the button to stop the motor, one of the limit switches shown in Fig. 5` will be actuated'to stop the motor. It

will thus beiseen that the patient may be handled, lifted, or lowered without any effort other than operating the switch 48. The sling carrying the patient may be moved along the winding shaft l2 without effort due to the ease in which the pulley i4 slides on shaft l2. Of course, the whole apparatus may be rolled around the room or down a corridor to another room with a minimum 0f physical eiort on the part of a single attendant. A patient may be readily picked up off of a bed and placed on a cart to go to the operating room, or after lifted from the cart, back to the bed. Where it is desired that the patient be kept stretched out, the carrier shown in Fig. 7 may be employed, this type of carrier being desirable in certain cases.

As was previously mentioned, the device is particularly suitable for use in hospitals where there may be a shortage of attendants, since a single nurse, attendant or intern may handle the patient far better than three or four attendants, as done in the usual manner, and without any physical exertion on the part of the attendant, or discomfort or injury to the patient. It is especially desirable in convalescent homes as well as in a private home where there may be only a practical nurse to take care of a patient bedridden for periods of months or years. By enabling the attendant to lift the patient from the bed to change the bed, the danger of bed sores is minimized, and where the patient is ordinarily helpless to aid himself, he may be rested by placing him in a chair, or may be relieved on a commode without requiring the use of the never to be forgotten bedpan, which has always been a terrible punishment for an invalid.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an invalid lifter and carrier of the kind described and in combination, two bases, an upright rigidly secured to each base and a connecting bar rigidly secured to the upper ends of said uprights, a rotatable winding shaft carried by said uprights, a pulley slidably carried on said shaft but non-rotatable thereon, a drive shaft, a motor mounted on one of said bases adjacent the upright carried thereby, a reduction gear operatively connected with said drive shaft and with said motor, means for connecting said drive shaft with said rotatable winding shaft, limit switches for automatically controlling the operation of the motor, and a manually controlled switch for controlling the motor to control the direction of rotation of the drive shaft'and the extent of rotation. v

2. In anv invalid lifter and carrier of the kind described and in combination, two bases, an upright rigidly secured to each base and a connecting bar rigidi-y secured to the upper ends of said uprights, a rotatable shaft carried by said uprights, a pulley provided With a plurality of rollers and slidably carried on said shaft by said rollers, but non-rotatable thereon, a reversible motor mounted on one of said bases adjacent the upright carriedthereby, a drive shaft, a reduction gear operatively connected with'said drive shaft and with said moto-r, means for connecting said drive shaft with said rotatable shaft, limit switches for automatically controlling the operation of the motor, and a manually controlled switch controlling the motor to control the direction of rotation of the drive shaft and the extent of rotation.

3. In an invalid lifter and carrier of the kind described and in combination, two mobile bases, an upright rigidly secured to each base and a connecting bar rigidly secured to the upper ends of said uprights, a winding shaft extending between and rotatably carried by said uprights at their upper ends, a pulley slidably carried on said shaft and rotatable therewith, a reversible electric motor mounted on one of said bases, a rotatable drive shaft, a reduction gear operatively connected with said drive shaft and with said motor, means for connecting said drive shaft with said rotatable winding shaft, limit switches for controlling the operation of the motor, and a manually controlled switch remotely controlling the motor to control the direction of rotation of the winding shaft and the extent of rotation.

4. In a device of the kind described and in combination, a pair of bases each provided with casters, an upright carried by each base and rigidly secured thereto, each upright provided with a head at the upper end thereof rigidly secured to the uprights, a bar connecting said heads and rigidly secured thereto, a winding shaft extending between said heads and rotatably carried thereby, a pulley arranged on said shaft and slidable lengthwise thereon, anti-friction rollers interposed between the pulley and shaft, the pulley rotatable with the shaft, a reversible motor arranged on one base, a vertical drive shaft, a reduction gear operatively connecting the lower end of said shaft with said motor, means at the upper end of said drive shaft for driving the connection of the upright shaft and said winding shaft carried by said uprights, a manually operated switch operatively connected with said motor for controlling the starting and stopping of the same, or reversing its direction of rotation, limit switches for automatically limiting the rotation of said drive shaft in either direction, carrier means and a cable extending from said carrier means to said pulley and secured thereto.

5. In a device adapted for raising and lowering, comprising in combination, a pair of bases each provided with casters, an upright carried by each base and rigidly secured thereto, each upright provided with a head at the upper end thereof rigidly secured to the uprights, a bar connecting said heads and rigidly secured thereto, a winding shaft extending between said heads and rotatably carried thereby, a pulley slidably arranged on said shaft but non-rotatable thereon, a reversible motor arranged on one base, a vertical drive shaft, a reduction gear operatively connecting the lower end of said shaft with said motor, means at the 7.7 uppereend of; saidgdrive shaftv for! drivinglyconnecting the upright shaft and said.u `rotatable winding shaftcarriedbyvsaid uprights, a manually. yoperated switch operatively connected' with .jiegrpeesgoited" in' the nieA of this patent v,

i UNITED .STATES .PATENTS Nurriber j "'Name; Date 

